This invention relates to a method and apparatus for forcing a basement wall back out to its original position after pressure from the outside of the wall has moved it inward improperly. In particular, the invention relates to a wall jacking system which can be employed in a minimum of space and with a minimum of effort by the operator without sacrificing safety.
Systems for jacking walls have been known for many years. For instance, Rue, U.S. Pat. No. 543,056, discloses a device for jacking the walls of a ditch by use of a screw-threaded shaft. This device, however, would not work for jacking basement walls since it is designed to jack against an opposing wall only. In a basement it is not unusual for the nearest opposing wall to be up to fifty feet or more away from the wall to be jacked. Further, that opposing wall may itself be in need of jacking, making it undesirable as an anchor against which to jack the first wall. Alternatively, the opposing wall may be an internal dividing wall, whether constructed of block or often merely studs and drywall. Such a wall would simply not provide sufficient jacking force to move the first wall outward. What is needed then is a jack which does not require an opposing wall nearby able to apply substantial jacking force.
The apparatus disclosed in Carroll, U.S. Pat. No. 1,578,230, and particularly at FIG. 6 thereof, does provide support for a basement wall to be poured without the necessity of a nearby opposing wall. Because of the nature of the intended use of the Carroll apparatus, however, it is not very flexible or adaptable to different situations, and it does not make use of any overhead support which may sometimes be available when jacking an existing basement wall. Making use of such overhead support would not only provide more flexibility, but would also result in more even pressure on the wall, improving the safety of the operation.
This invention relates to improvements over the devices referred to above and solutions to the problems raised thereby.